Eren Ozker
Eren Ozker (July 25, 1948 - February 25, 1993) was a puppeteer on The Muppet Show during the first season. She most notably originated the characters of Wanda and Hilda, and performed Janice, who had initially been performed by Fran Brill (the role would eventually go to Richard Hunt). She was the only regular female performer on the show during that time. When The Muppet Show received an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Comedy-Variety or Music Series, she was named alongside the other regular puppeteers and the producers. Ozker also played several supporting roles in Emmet Otter's Jugband Christmas (including Gretchen Fox) and served as an additional performer on The Muppet Movie. Born in Ankara, Turkey, Eren Ozker grew up in Farmington Hills, Michigan. She graduated from the University of Michigan in 1970, with a bachelor's degree in drama, and moved to New York City. Years after she left the Muppets, Ozker founded the SAG/AFTRA puppeteers' caucus.[1] As a stage actress, she toured with the National Shakespeare Company, playing heroines such as Hero in Much Ado About Nothing and Ophelia in Hamlet.[2] She also appeared Off-Broadway in plays such as Ibsen's The Master Builder. In 1975, after a stint with the Syracuse Stage troupe, she joined the Hartman Theater Company in Connecticut, playing leading roles such as Mayra in Gogol's The Government Inspector and Teresa in The Hostage. She often played opposite actor William Bogert; when Ozker returned to the states in 1977, on a break from her Muppet work, the pair married. Even after her departure from the Muppets, Ozker remained occasionally active as a puppeteer, playing spokescharacter Sud-Z-Lemon in a series of 1980s commercials for Joy dishwashing liquid.[3]. In 1989, Ozker fought for a more vocal participation by puppeteers in the acting unions, founding the SAG Puppeteers' Caucus and serving as the first chairwoman. Later puppeteer work included the 1988 stage play The Warrior Ant, the 1990 film Frankenhooker, and puppeteering a computer-generated Felix head for Felix the Cat: The Movie (1991). In 1991, she was also awarded the Joseph C. Reily award by SAG for outstanding service to the union. She died of cancer.[1] Muppeteer Credits *''The Muppet Show: Janice, Fozzie Bear (right hand), Green Gazelle, Droop, Flower-Eating Monster, Wanda, Hilda *The Muppet Movie'': Pig, Fozzie Bear (right hand), Janice (puppeteer), Rowlf (puppeteer) '' Muppet wiki behind the scenes photos The Muppet Show Episode 103 Joel Grey part 2.png|Eren Ozker with Jim Henson Frank Oz Dave Goelz Eren Ozker Muppet wiki behind the scenes photos The Muppet Show Episode 102 Connie Stevens part 2.png|Eren Ozker with Muppet wiki behind the scenes photos The Muppet Show Episode 101 Juliet Prowse part 1.png|Eren Ozker with Muppet wiki behind the scenes photos The Muppet Show Episode 107 Florence Henderson part 1.png|Eren Ozker with Muppet wiki behind the scenes photos The Muppet Show Episode 119 Vincent Price part 1.png|Eren Ozker with Muppet wiki behind the scenes photos The Muppet Show Episode 111 Lena Horne part 1.png|Eren Ozker with Muppet wiki behind the scenes photos The Muppet Show Episode 115 Candice Bergen part 1.png|Eren Ozker with Muppet wiki behind the scenes photos The Muppet Movie part 2.png|Eren Ozker with Jim Henson Frank Oz Jerry Nelson Richard Hunt Dave Goelz Steve Whitmire Kathryn Mullen Bob Payne Eren Ozker Tony Basilicato Muppet wiki behind the scenes photos The Muppet Movie part 8.png|Eren Ozker with Muppet wiki behind the scenes photos The Muppet Movie part 14.png|Eren Ozker with Muppet wiki behind the scenes photos The Muppet Movie part 15.png|Eren Ozker with Muppet wiki behind the scenes photos The Muppet Movie part 16.png|Eren Ozker with '' Category:Muppeteers